Today’s classic Christmas song is in three-quarter time. It’s “The Christmas Waltz,” originally performed by Frank Sinatra but also by dozens if not hundreds of others over the years.
“The Christmas Waltz” was written by legendary songwriters Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne for Frank Sinatra back in 1954. Frank requested a Christmas song from the pair, and you don’t turn down Mr. Sinatra. As Mr. Cahn remembers it, “One day during a very hot spell in Los Angeles the phone rang and it was Jule Styne to say, ‘Frank wants a Christmas song.'”
Sammy didn’t think that was a good idea. He told his partner, “Jule, we’re not going to write any Christmas song. After Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas‘? The idea’s just ridiculous.'”
Jule persisted, however, emphasizing that “Frank wants a Christmas song.”
Sammy thought about it for awhile, and then asked his partner: “Hey, Jule, has there ever been a Christmas waltz?” Styne answered no, so Sammy said, “Play that waltz of yours.” Jule did so and Sammy came up with words to match.
So Mr. Sinatra got hisself a Christmas song, and it’s a good one. The song itself is exactly as the title implies, a nice little Christmas waltz that catalogs all things Christmassy— frosted window panes, painted candy canes, that sort of thing. Cahn, the lyricist, was dissatisfied with his work, however, noting the impure rhyme of “this song of mine, in three-quarter time.” Purist, that Sammy was. Me, I kinda like the fact that the lyric is so self-referential.
Sinatra released “The Christmas Waltz” on August 23, 1954, as the B-side of his recording of “White Christmas.” That version featured an arrangement by Nelson Riddle. Sinatra re-recorded the song in 1957 with a Gordon Jenkins arrangement for his album, A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra. Mr. Sinatra released a third version of the song for his 1968 album, The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas, this time with a new arrangement by Nelson Riddle.
“The Christmas Waltz” has been covered by everybody and his brother, from Johnny Mathis to John Travlota. (Really.) I kinda like the version by She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) on their 2011 album, A Very She & Him Christmas. It’s not as definitive as Frank’s recording (but then, what is?), but it’s charming in its own twee way. Whichever version of the song you prefer, it’s a great little tune.
